Have you been injured in a car wreck in Duluth? There’s a good chance you’ll be dealing with not only lost wages, but also a pile of medical debt.
You may have no idea how you can possibly pay all of your medical bills, especially if you don’t have great health insurance. Depending on who is responsible for the wreck, you have a few different options to get your medical bills paid.
At Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C., we have decades of experience helping clients get compensation to pay for car accident medical bills. We know how to negotiate with insurance companies to get you a fair settlement, and we also have the skills to take your case to court if we need to.
If you want to explore all of your options for paying your medical bills after a car accident, give us a call at (770) 822-0900 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Duluth car accident lawyer today.
Option 1: Car Insurance
If the other driver was at fault for the car accident, the other driver’s insurance company will be responsible for paying your medical bills. In addition, if you are no more than 49 percent at fault, you can still get at least part of your medical bills paid by the other driver’s insurance company. This is generally the best option since it shouldn’t cost anything out of pocket or affect your insurance premium.
If the other driver doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your medical bills (or doesn’t have insurance at all), you will need to rely on your insurance policy to cover your bills. Having medical payments or uninsured/underinsured insurance coverage can be a lifesaver in cases like this.
Option 2: Health Insurance
While car insurance is mandatory in Georgia, you may need to tap into other resources if your injuries are severe or your claim is not resolved quickly. One such resource is your health insurance policy. You can use your health insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid) to cover your medical costs, similar to any other time you go to the doctor or the hospital.
However, you can only use your health insurance for treatments that are covered by your policy. For instance, what happens if you need chiropractic care, but your health insurance doesn’t cover that? You may be required to pay out of pocket or through the car insurance policy that is responsible for paying your medical bills.
Unfortunately, insurance payments, especially car insurance payments, can be slow coming. The good news is, you can often work out a payment plan with your medical provider to hold your bills over until you get a settlement check.
Option 3: Paying Out of Pocket
Your third — and worst — option is to pay your medical bills out of pocket. This is sometimes necessary if you don’t have health insurance, or if the other driver doesn’t have enough insurance and you don’t have uninsured/underinsured coverage on your policy.
In other instances, the insurance companies may be stalling on paying out compensation, especially if fault hasn’t been established yet.
If you are waiting on a settlement check, you can make small payments out of pocket on your car accident medical bills until you get reimbursed by the insurance company. However, you will need to work out a payment plan with your medical provider before deciding to make small payments. Otherwise, your bills could be sent to collections, which can be incredibly damaging to your credit score.
If you aren’t waiting on a settlement check, and you truly do need to pay your bills completely out of pocket, there are still a few options available to you. Your best option may be to borrow money from friends or family. If that’s not possible, you may be able to take out a loan to cover your bills. Just be wary of predatory lenders who go after people drowning in car accident medical bills.
Seek the Help of a Duluth Car Accident Lawyer
If you are waiting on an insurance company to cover your medical bills, you could be waiting for a long time. However, with the help of a Duluth car accident lawyer, compensation to pay your bills can come quicker. After all, an experienced lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company to get you a fair settlement check.
Of course, if the insurance company refuses to offer you a fair settlement, we can take your case to court. While that generally takes a lot longer than settling out of court, a verdict can result in more compensation.
Don’t be tempted to take the first settlement offer you receive from the insurance company. They know you’ll probably have a stack of bills stressing you out, so they’ll offer a settlement that’s far less than what you need or deserve. Once you accept that offer, you forfeit your right to seek greater compensation.
Instead, give us a call as soon as possible after a wreck. We can help you get the compensation you deserve to pay your car accident medical bills and other losses. Call us at (770) 822-0900 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Duluth car accident lawyer today.